The Execution of Brom

The body hung on the cross. The shadow, looming over the square as the Sun
dropped below the Great Walls of Rin. The people gathered, silent, waiting for the
King to grace them with his speech:
Citizens! Citizens of Rin! Today is a glorious day, for it marks the 20th anniversary of
my reign and the 19th birthday of the Great Walls which protect our beloved kingdom.
However, whilst the Great Walls protect us from the outer world, there are still hidden
enemies among us, parasites which must be cleansed from our society. As your King,
I commit myself/ vow to purge those who dare oppose your freedom, your peace, your
happiness and your King.
The jeweled figure paused, and the crowd instantly erupted into a stream of applause.
The men, eager patriots, exclaimed extended praises of the King and the women,
overcome with emotion, wiped their eyes with their hands. The soldiers stamped their
halberds, and the deathly silence returned. The King continued:
That figure on the cross, once was an esteemed general of our army, yet underneath
that facade was a tyrant, a despicable man who embezzled our gold, murdered
innocents and even plotted to destroy the Great Walls. An enemy of the state

The Soldier, Kane, gazed upwards, staring at the figure that hung upon the cross.
Three years ago he had the misfortune of serving beneath the traitor, travelling to the
outskirts of Rin, to silence the bandits who preyed upon the peddlers. The mission itself
had passed without so much a hitch, the rogues proved to be inferior to the
overwhelming might of a trained army regiment. Brom had lead the troops, valiantly
fighting at the fore. He spoke words of comfort to displaced citizens and shouldered
supplies that others were too tired to carry. How strange it was. Brom had seemed a
decent man, was it really all a facade? Where was the man who valued justice,
equality and chivalry? Dead, or simply never alive?

A stray rock missed its mark and hit Kanes helmet. A man once held as a hero, now
an object of hate and jeer. Ahh The topic is too complex. He had but a single role,
follow the orders, not question and life would be simple. Leaving the heated area of
the square, the Soldier left his post to begin a patrol.
The alleys were void of people, expected, as all are expected to attend the Kings
speech (lest they wish to face punishment).
A fat rat scurried past and he impaled it with his halberd.
Another district fallen to the rats, hell have to report this later.

He continued on his path through the frigid streets of cobblestone. The blacksmith's
tools still lay by the open fire, the womens embroidery left to be taken by the wind and
the bars tables serving a banquet for the crows. The screams/cries/shrieks of pain
echoed through the nooks of the buildings. Kane weaved through the scattered debris
on the streets, and there he saw it. Waves of vermin atop a writhing mass. A swing
of his halberd and the rats quickly fled, unveiling a motionless figure, stained in blood.
He was too late. How could this happen?! What happened to the Rin filled with the
laughter and smiles of its citizens? For the first time, Kane looked around him,
properly. Hidden within the shadows of the buildings, the underside of bridges were
ragged mobs/waifs, downcast, in a foetal position, forsaken by society.

How could he not have noticed this before? It was the duty of a government. The
duty of a soldier is to protect the citizens. SO WHAT WAS THIS?!
No.
He had always known. The crucifixion of Brom, the countless politicians hanged, the
cries of the people. All of it. Kane simply chose to ignore the truth, instead, banishing
it away to the recesses of his mind. Yet such thoughts, such doubts continued to
linger in the abyss of his consciousness, only now, like a volcano, exploding due to the
execution of Brom.

His patrol lead him back to the familiar position under the cross where Brom still
stands.
This cannot continue. Hell gather the others, they will form a plan, together they will
overthrow the King and...
A fly landed on his nose. The Soldier, Kane, gazed upwards, staring at General Brom,
now the property of the flies.
An arrow (of truth) pierced his chest.
What awaited those who rebel is death.
Justice? Equality? They are but fanciful lies, meant to coax the insignificant masses.

Nothing but hypocrisy.

The citizens were less than people, but livestock, raised in the paddock known as Rin,
fenced in by the Great Walls. Forever doomed to be plundered and milked of their
wealth and life by the King.
And the Soldier Kane, has no choice but to be, the loyal hound/watchdog that obeys.